Koishī
by Authoress Liz
Summary: In the youkai world, there exists a concept: koishī. Once a demon falls truly in love, this person becomes the other half of their soul. Kouga has confessed that Kagome is his other half, and Inuyasha has selfishly denied his true feelings. How is Kagome going to feel about all this? (KogKag)
1. Confrontations

It was another day, which meant another long trek for the small group searching for the shards of the Sacred Jewel, and by extension the foul demon who sought to take it for his own. These mornings had become all but routine: the first of the group to awaken was Inuyasha, whose sensitive eyes and ears did not allow him to ignore the sounds cued by the sun beginning to warm the earth. He in turn would awaken Shippo, and send the young fox off to find something to eat. Shippo complained, as he always did, and their voices would cause Kirara's ears to twitch and breathing pattern to shift. The small movements caused Sango to sit up and rub her eyes, reaching out with her other hand to nudge Miroku. Kagome was the one to wake up last on days like this, and with a firm stare she managed to calm the atmosphere and get the company back into order.

Breakfast came and went, and now came the real meat of the day: walking. Each morning before they set off, Kagome would focus hard on the dark energy put off by the Shikon Jewel, and once she found some she was able to direct her friends in which way to go. While the endless journey was monotonous at most times, something would always happen eventually to make things more exciting.

On this particular day, that excitement came in the form of three wolf demons. Kouga's tell-tale whirlwind appeared on the horizon and swiftly approached, much to Inuyasha's chagrin. He was flanked by his two underlings, Ginta and Hakaku, who were begging him to slow down, as usual, and summarily had their pleas ignored.

"Hey, Kagome!" Kouga announced, coming to a halt directly in front of the human girl. "How's my woman doing today?"

Kagome barely managed to start saying hello before Inuyasha butted in with, "She's not your woman!" She glared at the hanyou, because she did not belong to anyone.

"Well, she sure as hell isn't yours! I love Kagome, she's my one!" The ookami announced this proudly, thumbing his chest. "I've known it from the moment I met her."

Inuyasha's face suddenly flushed a deep red, in anger and embarrassment. "You can't just say that out of nowhere, you scrawny wolf! I bet your heart is so full of love for your own stupid head, there's no room for anyone else in it."

Now it was Kouga's turn to redden. "Hey! Is she your _koishī_ , then?"

"My what?"

"You know exactly what I mean, mutt! Unless she's your _koishī_ , you have no right to try and pull Kagome away from me."

The tension between these two men was so tense, one could slice through it with a knife. Kagome stepped in now, trying to soothe them both. "I belong to myself, and no one else! I don't appreciate you acting like I'm somebody's possession."

Kouga sighed, and clasped Kagome's small hands between his calloused ones. "You're right, Kagome. You don't belong to anybody. But I want you to know that you are my darling, and that will never change, no matter what anybody else says. And unless you know in your heart that the dumb mutt is your dearest, and that you are his, I'll stay by your side every day until you feel that I am the one for you."

The girl blushed at his words, not expecting to hear something so understanding coming from the wolf demon. "Wow, Kouga-kun, I…"

"It's alright. You don't need to say anything right now. Just take your time and think, okay?" He whisked off for a moment, returning just as quickly with a white flower. "When you make your choice, just call for me, and I will be right there for you." His claws deftly tuck the stem into the locks of her hair, and he lets the inside of his palm brush over her cheek as he drew away. "Come on, guys, let's move!" With that announcement, Kouga began to move, and was half a kilometer down the road before his comrades had even begun running.

* * *

For the next few days, Kagome found herself to be more quiet and introspective than usual. She had no idea what Kouga meant when referring to her as his "koishī", for she had never heard that word being used in that context before. When she had asked Sango what it meant, the demon slayer had nary a clue.

"I've never heard of a demon referring to somebody as their dearest one. But, by his actions, it seems very obvious to me that Kouga is absolutely smitten with you." Sango pondered the ookami's words, finding them to be mystifying.

"Smitten?!" Kagome squealed, her face going bright pink. "No way, Sango, you've got it all wrong! He only likes me because I can sense where the Jewel shards are, and he only comes to see me so often because he knows he'll get a reaction out of Inuyasha…"

"No, it seems more than that. Kouga acts like this because he really does love you."

"If Kouga truly loved me, I'm sure he'd never leave my side. He'd be here with me, all the time, keeping me safe from harm like Inuyasha does. I'm sure he would never let me be alone…like Inuyasha… He wouldn't treat me like I'm a pest, like Inuyasha does… He'd compliment my cooking…unlike Inuyasha!" Kagome quickly cut herself off before she spiraled into a full-blown rant.

"Kagome…" Sango stepped forward, and placed her hand upon Kagome's shoulder. "If you are really so bothered by the things that Inuyasha does, why do you keep letting him do them?"

"It's not that I just let him walk all over me, I just… Inuyasha always seems like he has something more important on his mind. He's always thinking, and he's gone through so much in his life that he's obviously been deeply affected by. I don't want to cause a fight with him, not like this." The young girl pulled away from her friend's gentle touch, and walks quickly up ahead to the rest of the group.

Miroku greeted her with a smile, Shippo hitching a ride atop his shoulder. "Ah, Kagome-sama. Are we discussing the incident between our two canine friends?" The monk asked slyly, gesturing towards the final member. Inuyasha was still a few paces ahead, hands folded together behind his head and elbows pointed forward. He appeared to not be listening. "I daresay, it was quite rude for Inuyasha to try and interrupt such a passionate exchange of words."

Kagome blinked, she must not have noticed how Inuyasha was reacting as Kouga spoke to her. "He did…?"

"Oh yes, Sango and I had to hold him back to keep him from unleashing the Tetsaiga and blowing Kouga away!"

"Yeah, he was seething mad." Shippo chuckled, a devilish grin crossing his face. "If I didn't know any better, I think that Inuyasha really likes you, and doesn't want you to get swept away right from under his nose!"

As if given a signal, Inuyasha whipped around and launched a nearby rock directly towards the kitsune's head. "What the hell did you just say, you little brat?!"

Shippo screamed, leaping off his perch and scrambling for cover behind Kagome. "I said that the only reason you hate Kouga so much is because you like Kagome!" He peered out from behind her legs, tiny paws grasping her socks for dear life.

"Shippo…come over here so I can tell you what I _really_ think of Kagome." The dog hanyou crouched down, brows lowered in obvious disgust. Shippo rapidly shook his head, not wanting to risk his wrath. "Come on, it'll be quick… I'll just tear off that fluffy little tail of yours."

" _Osuwari!"_ The word leapt from Kagome's lips without a second thought, sending Inuyasha crashing into the ground with a yelp. "Don't you dare pick a fight with Shippo. If you want to tell someone how you feel about me, then you should tell me!"

"Why should I tell you anything?!" His protest was muffled from where his face was crushed into the dirt.

"Because your feelings are about me, idiot! Just spit them out already!"

"FINE!" Inuyasha roared, leaping back up to his feet. "Kagome, you're not my koishi!"

The girl felt like her heart had been pierced by an arrow and shattered into thousands of pieces, just as the Shikon Jewel had. "Oh…" Was all she managed to get out, before her eyes began to sting and her feet instinctively carried her away.


	2. Other Half

"Inuyasha! That was so rude!" Sango angrily scolded the hanyou. He had said insensitive things before, but this was at a level yet unheard of. She quickly shifted her Hiraikotsu into her hands, bashing the corner of it into his head, planting it right between his fluffy white ears. Inuyasha let out a whimper, rubbing the developing bump. "Don't you dare complain to me, because you deserve more than that! How could you say such a thing to Kagome?"

"It's the truth." He whined, still wincing from the strength of her strike. Any harder than that, and she may as well have split his skull in two.

"There was absolutely no reason for you to say it like that. Don't you realize the effect it had on Kagome?"

He was silent for a long while. "She just…ran away, all of a sudden…."

"That tends to imply that a woman is most miserable." Miroku chimed in, just so happening to come up close behind Sango. Too close to Sango, as was demonstrated by his sudden exclamation of pain as the demon slayer grabbed his wrist and twisted it away from its rest on her rear. "Oh, Sango, you are so cruel…"

"Not nearly as cruel as Inuyasha can be, houshi-sama." She frowned. "What was that whole little fight about, anyway?"

"It's not something that humans need to know about." He grumbled deeply.

"You do realize that we're standing right here, don't you?" Sango frowned back at him. "We're your friends, and if this is something that will affect the entire group, and by extension our mission, then we need to know."

Inuyasha groaned, leaning back and obviously showing how much he did not want to answer that question.

" _Inuyasha…"_

With yet another reluctant sigh, he started speaking. "Well, it's a weird demon thing—"

"Not to us, not yet." Sango held out her hand, interrupting him. "You should go talk to Kagome. She's the one who is hurt the most about this little situation."

"I really, really think it would be best for me to tell you guys first."

"Get a move on!" Sango ordered, pointing in the direction Kagome ran. "Besides, you don't even know if she could be in trouble right now."

With the mention of trouble, Inuyasha's ears pricked up, and he dashed off, crimson sleeves flapping in the wind.

* * *

Kagome let herself cry for what felt like hours. Even though she had no idea about the context behind Inuyasha's words, hearing that she was not his one was enough to leave her devastated. She cursed at the world around her, she cursed at Inuyasha for being so rude, she cursed at Naraku for causing such a problem, and she even cursed the existence of the Shikon Jewel and all the evils it wrought.

The depths of her despair resonated through the energy of the air, and it was not long until foul creatures picked up on her feelings. A hoard of smaller demons began to swarm, gathering together and moving closer and closer to the girl. On any normal day, she would be able to pick up on their malicious intent, and know to run away or fight them. Unfortunately for her, this was no ordinary day. Kagome was so deeply lost in her feelings that she did not notice the gathering before her, or the hisses and roars that melded together like one great voice. _"Give us…give us the Shikon Jewel…! Feed our power!"_

Kagome had only just begun to look upwards when a flash of light filled the area, and the swath of demons was cut through. Slowly, she turned around, and caught a glimpse of Inuyasha's great sword as it slid back into its sheath.

"Kagome, you can't just go running away like that! You're lucky I showed up, or else you would have been demon chow." He huffed, glaring at her like a petulant child.

"I don't care…" She sighed. "Why are you even here? Why bother helping me out, I'm not your koishī, remember?"

With a sigh of his own, Inuyasha came over to sit next to Kagome. "Listen, Kagome…there's a lot behind that title that you don't know anything about. It's a demon thing, so I wouldn't really expect you to understand anyways—"

The human girl cut him off. "It's easy enough for this human to understand that you don't like me. You don't like me at all, do you?" Another tear tracked its way down her face, remoistening the tracks left over from her previous weep.

"Kagome, I… It's not like that! I really do like you, Kagome…"

Her heart jumped. Her tears almost melded into those of joy and relief, but Inuyasha wasn't yet finished speaking.

"There's this…thing, among demons. When a demon falls in love, truly in love, for the first time, the person of their affection is henceforth known as their 'koishī', it's so hard to explain. That person becomes the other half of the demon's soul. They become the demon's dearest person, their precious person, their beloved… their… _one._ From that point on, the demon can only ever love that person with their whole heart, no one else can ever take that part away."

Kagome was beginning to put the pieces together. "Kikyou is yours, isn't she?" She asked quietly, knowing that his hypersensitive ears would pick up on her question.

"Yeah…" Inuyasha sighed.

"Inuyasha… Kikyou is dead. The Kikyou who you truly loved, your koishī, she's dead, and this Kikyou who you see now is just her remnants, and a piece of my soul. She's not the true person you love anymore…"

"I know, Kagome, I know! But, once your heart decides that you've met your other half, you can never change it… Kagome, I love you." He hesitates for a moment, fighting with his own emotions. "I love you, but I want to be faithful to Kikyou. And, I know that I will never be able to give you the love that you deserve, no matter how much you may love me back. I guess…I guess all that fighting I do with Kouga is just me being jealous and selfish. I wanted to have it both ways. I wanted to have my most beloved, and have you as well. But hearing that stupid wolf tell you that you are his one is something that I just can't go against anymore. It's something that makes you special to him, and I can't take that away from you. It was unfair of me to act like you were mine when you are your own person… Kagome, I'm sorry."

Throughout this heartfelt speech, Kagome feels her emotions swirling inside her. She had never guessed that Inuyasha could ever be so eloquent in how he felt, and she surely never would have guessed that he would ever apologize for his selfish actions. Now, tears of an entirely different sort were squeezing from her eyes. "Inuyasha… thank you for telling me this." She said quietly, a sad smile edging at her lips. "Thank you for being so honest with me." She finally turned to face him, her deep brown eyes gazing into his golden. "I want you to be happy."

Tentatively, he reached out to brush the tears off of her face. "And I want you to be happy…" Inuyasha leaned forward, and brushed his lips over hers, almost as if confirming that his heart still belonged to the tragic priestess of fifty years ago. While Kagome's heart swelled at his touch, his own remained steady in his chest. He pulled away after just a moment, before standing up and offering his hand to Kagome. "Kouga said that you are his love, his koishī… If you come to love him, I want to make sure that you get the best love possible. Better than anything I could have ever given you…"

She stood, accepting his hand, before coming in to hug him closely in one last moment of intimacy. "Thank you, Inuyasha… When all of this is over, I want to help you find your peace, and I want both you and Kikyou to finally be happy like you deserve to."

"Come on, the others will be worried sick about us." He crouched down, offering her a spot on his back, just like he always did. With newfound emotion, Kagome accepted, climbing on to her friend and protector and allowing him to carry her back.


	3. Ninja and Samurai

Clinging tightly to the hanyou's back, Kagome and Inuyasha reconvened with their comrades in just several minutes. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were all greatly relieved to see that the two had forgiven each other for their spat, and that both were safe. Once they made camp for the night, Kagome explained to the group exactly what the concept of a demon's other half was.

Without a word, Sango came to sit next to Kagome and wrapped her in a tight embrace. The demon slayer just had a hunch that this was what the other woman needed most of all. The two humans held each other tightly, finding comfort in each other's touch.

Content with her words, Kagome opened her yellow pack to pull out the night's meal: instant ramen noodles. "Inuyasha, could you please fetch us some water?" She asks him, handing him a metal kettle.

"Keh… Fine, but only if you give me my ninja food first!" He scoffs, but takes the container to the river anyways.

The human girl starts a fire, letting her hands soak in the warmth. Miroku slides in closer to her, closing his eyes in a most pensive expression. "It seems as though Inuyasha has finally come to grips with the idea that he can't have things two different ways. I'm proud of him, really. He is growing up."

"It's really surprising." Kagome chuckles. "I was really expecting him to continue saying something really crude, or something that would be really hurtful. But…he spoke about his feelings so well, he was like a poet."

"Are you sure you were actually talking to Inuyasha?" Shippo asks most skeptically. "That guy could never say anything so nice. It must have been a shapeshifter."

"No, it really was him." Kagome shakes her head. "It was him, I know it."

"At least you're confident in yourself. Do you think you're going to give Kouga a chance?" Sango asked, coming back from gathering firewood. She drops several sticks onto the fire, the light casting a soft glow upon her face.

"Kouga confessed his love to me, so I may as well give him a chance. After all… Who am I to stand in the way of true love?" Kagome smiles shyly, making up her mind. "I'll tell him about everything when we see him again."

"Knowing him, it won't be long at all. In fact, I bet if you were to throw back your head and howl like a wolf, he would come running!"

"Hey, don't bring that stupid, scrawny wolf anywhere near us!" Inuyasha announces his presence with a loud complaint, plunking the water-filled kettle down upon the fire. "Just because he's in love with Kagome doesn't mean he needs to hang around our camp. I don't like him one bit."

"Don't be rude." Kagome chides him. "Just because you don't like him doesn't mean I can't spend time with him."

"Whatever…let's just make some food, okay? I'm starving." He sits down in a huff, glaring at the water kettle and willing it to boil faster. "I really want to have the shrimp-flavored ninja food." He reaches over and grabs his cup of choice, adding the hot water and then sitting impatiently as the noodles cook. The moment they became soft, he shoveled them all into his mouth and chewed noisily, finishing up before anyone else even began their meal. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and then got up, moving away from the group to lean up against a tree and close his eyes.

The rest of the group stared at him, not saying a word. They couldn't believe what had just happened, and after a few exchanged glances, unanimously decided not to say anything about this incident. For the rest of the night, they made small talk, being sure not to mention either the hanyou or ookami, until they each got tired and decided to sleep.

* * *

Ozawa tried to take in a deep breath, but the blow taken from that last Ashigaru foot soldier was still laying heavily on his breast. The maul had almost punctured his breastplate, it would have ended his life if not for the timely arrival of Akira on horseback, wielding his yari. With his long spear, he had cut down many of the enemy samurai Takeda's number. Ozawa felt shame that he had not been able to cut down a single man, not even a peasant soldier. But what could he expect being a lowly servant to this mighty samurai Akira? He had seen plenty of battles, small and large, walking beside Akira, however it was only in this battle that Akira deemed it necessary for him to accompany his master in combat. This was by far the largest battle Ozawa had ever seen, there must have been thousands on either side, blue, black, and red banners flying everywhere.

By now the sky was darkening and yet the battle did not seem to wither. Akira yelled out to Ozawa, "Get that dirt off your face! I can't watch your back forever!"

Just as Ozawa tried to respond, thunder boomed above them and lightening split the sky, and down came torrents of rain, it was if the Gods were showing their disdain for the blood spilt onto the Kai region's soil. He grabbed his short tanto blade, sheathed it, and went for his yari, buried between several beaten and bloodied bodies. As he tried to make a grab for it he heard Akira yelling to him again, and though he could not hear him over the thunder he could see through the waves of men and horses his master surrounded by over a dozen spearmen.

After Ozawa grabbed his spear he looked again to check on Akira and could not see him, his horse had fallen...

For a moment Ozawa tried to reach his master, but could not break through the carnage enveloping the field around him. He managed to shove his way through a few paces and made it to Akira's downed horse. When he looked around he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively he took his tanto, turned and jabbed upwards into the throat of his attacker. But this was no attack, as Ozawa was shocked to see his master, and the sword he put through his throat. Blood spread over Ozawa's hand and down Akira's armor.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Ozawa felt a rush of desperation flood over him. He couldn't even bring himself to speak another word, he just clutched his master's body and sobbed. As the rain tricked down darkness enveloped the field and he was lost in a sea of despair.

Time stretched for a time, it felt like an eternity. Ozawa felt as though he were floating, like a cloud carried by a stiff breeze. Suddenly a voice called out to him, whispering his name it said, "You peasant, you have killed your master, stained this ground with his blood, the very same blood of the man you swore to defend. Your soul is as black as the void around you."

Ozawa wanted to speak, to retort the vicious words spouted at him, but his voice failed him again, and no wind passed his lips.

The voice continued, "You have now entered my domain, the domain of the tortured and the damned. A demon you have become and one you shall remain..."

Ozawa manage to creak out, "W—who...who are you?"

There was a slight chuckle then silence. For a moment there was nothing, and then the voice became a figure in the darkness, a man covered in the skin of an ape, and the figure spoke, "My name...is Naraku".

* * *

 **Author's note: Okay, with the inclusion of Ozawa, I'm going to increase the rating of this story because of the inclusion of violence. I have to give a big thank you to my boyfriend Gus and his obsession with Feudal Japan and it's history, without him I'd be at a loss for new plot points.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading, and look out for chapter four!**


	4. Gifts

The next day, Kagome awoke to the scent of blood. She bolted upright, scared out of her wits, worried that a group of enemies had descended in the night and slaughtered her companions. But, instead of being greeted by human corpses, she saw the fresh carcass of a wild boar. The human let out a shriek, and leapt out of her sleeping bag.

"Good morning, Kagome nee-san!" Two voices chimed at her in unison, and upon rubbing her eyes, she notices that Ginta and Hakkaku are holding the boar in front of her.

"G-Good morning…" She stammers, fixated on the sight of blood dripping from it.

"We brought you a present from Kouga! He sends you breakfast with his regards, and with all of his love." Hakkaku grins, his hair looking spikier than usual this morning.

"He's off leading a hunting trip right now, but he told us to take this first catch to you as a token of his affection. Once he catches enough food for the pack and makes sure they all get something to eat, he'll come to visit you to see if you liked it." Ginta follows up. "And he told us to make sure that you get to eat the liver, because that's the best part."

"Whoa, a whole boar just for Kagome!" Shippo cries out, looking longingly at the food. "You're gonna share it…right?"

"Of course, of course. There's no way I could eat this whole thing by myself!" Kagome waves her hands, eyes squeezed shut. "Um, do you guys want to help us roast it?"

"Roast it?" The two ookami glance at each other. "Why would you roast it?"

"It's better for humans this way. Trust me." She nods. "Come on, let's build a fire."

* * *

It took a long time for the boar to cook, but the group passed the time in a merry fashion. Inuyasha actually proved to be quite civil around the two wolf demons, proving that his prejudice was only against Kouga and not the rest of his pack. After several hours, a most mouthwatering smell was rising from the fire, and everybody kept inching closer and closer to it, a few openly salivating. Soon, it was done, and Miroku sliced it apart with a small knife. The entire carcass was split up between members of the group, though the two wolf demons insisted upon Kagome getting the liver.

Kagome, however, was not a huge fan of liver. She couldn't just ignore it, though, especially with the gaze of all of her friends weighing heavily upon her. She took a deep breath, steeling herself, and sinks her teeth into her breakfast. She chewed and swallowed, trying not to wince too much at the taste. "It's…g-good."

"You'll make a good alpha female yet!" A new, deep voice rung out from behind her. A shiver runs up Kagome's spine, and in her startled state she takes yet another bite of the liver. She whirls around, teeth still in her food, and her eyes widen when she notices Kouga standing behind her. A soft blush rushes over both of their faces, Kagome blushes because she got caught eating what Kouga got for her, and Kouga blushes because he loved the sight of Kagome doing something wolf-like.

The human girl quickly swallows her food, coughing because she went too fast. "K-Kouga-kun! You really startled me!"

"That's alright, I wouldn't have noticed me either, especially with such a good meal in front of me." He grins, coming to sit down right next to Kagome. "So, how do you like it?"

"I-It's good." She nods stiffly, trying not to make it obvious that she was lying through her teeth. "But, you know, I'm never really that hungry in the mornings. How about you take the rest of it?" She offers him the liver.

Kouga's eyes light up in amazement. "Kagome, I…" He grasps her hands, liver and all. "I'm so flattered that you care so much about my welfare!" He takes the food from her and stuffs it into his mouth. Once he's done, small tears of joy form in the corners of his eyes. "It's so good… It's amazing because you cooked it, Kagome! I've never tasted anything so amazing in my life."

She blushes deeply, amazed by the flattery coming from him. "It's n-nothing, really… I'm just really glad that you liked it, Kouga-kun."

"I new that you are my other half, and now, learning that you can cook, it makes me love you even more!"

A shiver runs through Kagome's body. "Well, you know, about that… Inuyasha explained that whole concept to me last night." The ookami's face falters for a moment, and she quickly waves her hands. "No, it's not a bad thing! I'm really amazed that you love me that much, and that you feel like I'm the other half of your soul…" She rests her hands upon her lap now. "I want to spend more time with you, and I want to see if you are my other half."

He blinked once, then twice, and then he suddenly reached forward to pull Kagome into a tight hug. Her cheek presses into his chest, feeling the warm skin beneath her. "I'm so happy…" There was a snarl from the background, but it was quickly stifled. Either that, or Kagome just didn't care anymore.

Her heart was pounding too fast in her chest, and her blood was racing throughout her body. Her hands slowly find their way around his body, holding him in return. Something about touching him like this made her feel safe and wanted, like no one else ever had. She smiled and let her eyes close, just relishing the moment.

As soon as it began, it was over, because Inuyasha broke away from the grip of Sango and Miroku, charging forward to tear Kouga away from Kagome's embrace. "That's enough out of you, you stupid wolf!"

" _Inuyasha!"_ Kagome gasped. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

"I'm getting you out of his clutches, what does it look like I'm doing?" The hanyou scoffed. "Seeing him with his paws all over you makes me want to hurl."

"Excuse me, Kouga-kun." She stood up, brushing dust off of her skirt. "Inuyasha, you need to take a seat and listen to me, and listen well." He openly flinched at her order, however it was not the word to activate his Beads of Subjugation. And he still did not sit. "Don't you dare make me say it!"

He squeaked, and quickly sat down for a scolding.

"Inuyasha, you have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do. You have no power over me!" She noticed him wincing more and more. "If I want to be close to Kouga-kun, then I'm going to be close to him. If you feel jealous, it is not my problem. You are being selfish and acting like a little kid, especially after you did such a good job explaining how you felt last night…"

As she spoke, his head dropped down until his chin was tucked into his chest. "I… I just wanted to have things both ways, okay…?"

"You can't have things both ways! You need to get over yourself and just deal with the fact that your heart has already chosen the person you truly love, and that person is not me. You're being unfair to me, unfair to yourself, _and_ unfair to Kikyou by trying to have us both." Kagome's voice drops lower and lower, until she is no longer scolding him, but speaking into him seriously, as his friend.

She reaches out to Kouga, offering him her hand. He gladly accepts it and stands up, and pulls her into his arms. "Listen, I want to…go with Kouga, for a little while. I want to spend some time with just him, so that we can get to know each other. And hopefully, because we are apart, you can look into your heart and figure out what you want the most."

Shippo lets out a noise of alarm, not wanting his surrogate sister to leave. "B-But Kagome, I don't want you to go off without me! Inuyasha's going to beat me up without you around."

"Well…how about you come with me? You can be my chaperone." She smiles, opening her arms to the child. He laughs in glee and leaps to her, grabbing her collar and using it to cling to her shoulder. "I'll come back to you in a week, alright?" She picks up her backpack, and offers it to Miroku. "Please use whatever you need from here in order to make do without me. Okay?"

The monk smiled, nodding his head. "I'll treat it with the utmost respect. And, we will all miss you, Kagome-sama."

"I'll miss you guys too. But hey, a week will be over before you know it! So you all take care." With that, Kagome returned to the ookami. "Are you ready to go?"

"Of course, my darling. I'd gladly run across the world, if it would make you happy." Kouga gives her a dashing smile, scooping her up and taking off at a sprint.


	5. Welcome to the Cave

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and clung tightly to Kouga as they traveled, the wind buffeting her and making her hair fly all around her face. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the cave in which the Eastern Pack resided. Kouga let her down onto her feet and walked into the cave first to announce her presence.

"Hey! Everybody listen up!" He shouted, all the ookami and wolves looking up to his face. "I brought back Kagome! She is my other half, she is my koishī, and she is here to spend time with me and see if I'm the one her heart has chosen! So you guys better be on your best behavior all the time, or else you'll be on guard duty for a whole week!" A howl went up from the pack, showing their joy at Kagome's presence. A few of the wolves closest to the mouth of the cave approached her, sniffing at her, noticing how there was another smell about the girl. Shippo peeked nervously over her head, not wanting to drop down and get eaten.

"And this is Shippo." She announces. "He's my friend, don't you dare try to eat him! If you even think about it, I'll make sure that you get guard duty for…for two weeks!" The wolves around the human whimper a little bit and back away.

Kouga is surprised at his love's ferocity, he was the only one who ever managed to make his wolves react like that. He lets out a laugh, actually very impressed by her. "Ha, looks like you're meant to be an alpha female after all." Kagome blushed, letting Shippo hop off her shoulders and go play with a litter of puppies. "So, now that it's just you and me…let's get to know each other." He slips his arm around Kagome's waist, and pulls her in tightly.

"So, how about you…show me around the cave?" She suggests. "I only saw a little bit of it last time I was here."

"Great idea, Kagome!" He grins and starts to walk her deeper inside his home. "You're really going to like it here." He gestures to the most open area of the cave, the floor consisting of several different levels in the rock. "This is where most of the wolves hang out and sleep. Me and the other ookami tend to sleep in the back, over on those furs, it's a lot more comfortable." He strolls through, weaving his way through different groupings. "You'll be sleeping in there with us at night, so we can keep you safe."

Kagome pauses, not sure about sleeping in a big pile of demons. "You know, humans don't really tend to sleep in groups. We kinda like our space, you know?"

"Oh, really? That's kinda weird, but if it makes you happy, then I'll make you your own separate nest." Kouga smiles at her, dragging a few furs off the pile and putting them a few feet away. "It may get a little cold during the night, though, and you don't have your own fur… How about I sleep next to you at night?"

She blushes at the idea of sleeping next to a man, and being held in his arms all night. "I-I've never…slept next to anyone before…"

"Well, I won't bite. And I'll make sure that you stay safe through the night." He smiles softly at her. "I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel comfortable."

"Thanks, Kouga-kun." Kagome smiles in return. "Is there more to your home?"

"Yeah! You're gonna love it!" He brings her down a small path off to the side of the cave. When the passage widens again, she can barely keep herself from gasping in awe. The cave opened up into a massive chamber, open to the sky. Down below, water flowed in a deep lake. The walls were dotted with outcroppings, some of them with torches placed out so that the chamber could be lit at night.

"Wow…" She breathes, looking about with wide eyes. "What is this place?"

"This is the Chamber of the Moon." He smiles softly, placing his hand upon her shoulder. "This is the most sacred place of the Eastern Pack. It is here that we conduct all of our ceremonies: pack meetings, weddings, funerals, stuff like that. Only members of the Wolf Packs are allowed to see this place."

"But, I'm not a member of the pack…."

"Kagome, you are my koishī. This makes you an honorary member of my pack, and if were ever to…" he swallows nervously "marry, then you would be made a true member, with all the rights that come with being a part of the packs."

"What kind of rights?"

"Oh, boring stuff. Protection, food, a warm place to sleep, family…you know, that kind of junk. I know it doesn't sound like much, but wolves don't need a whole lot." His hand absentmindedly rubs her back. "If you want to stay here, I hope that our simple existence would make you happy."

She stays quiet for a while, just thinking about her heart and what she wants. At this point, she really wasn't sure about what her heart was telling her to do. Deep down, she realized all the things that Kouga had to offer her, but at the same time, she couldn't help but think back to the attachment she had to Inuyasha, even though he didn't feel the same way about her.

"Well…I'm going to be here for a week. Let's take things as they come, shall we?" Kagome smiles softly, not yet sure of what it is she wanted to do.

"Yeah. Let's do that."

* * *

For a while, the soldier Ozawa clung to the darkness like a warm blanket. When the evil voice first called out to him, the void seemed harsh and penetrating in a cold, violent way. Now, he seemed peaceful, there was nothing but the darkness, and since Naraku had vanished almost as soon as he appeared there was silence as well. Naraku had seemed different to any other person he had ever come across. Ozawa had always known evil men, greedy landowners, bloodthirsty daimyo, sadistic samurai, even lecherous priests, but there was something different about Naraku. It was almost if there was just something missing, something absent from Naraku's being which made him almost an entirely different creature. His voice gave the impression he felt pleasure in nothing, warmth seemed a distant memory to this man, then again he might not even be a man at all. Ozawa had always heard tell of youkai, those fearsome demons who prowl through the night and feast upon the blood of men. The concept of something so evil existing in this world sent horrid pangs of fear throughout his body.

Ozawa was startled by this. Cold and fear were the only two things he could really feel, while he was trapped in this realm. The peaceful darkness he had just now begun to appreciate was no longer peaceful at all, but instead it was just the absence of all other sensations.

But for now, Ozawa appreciated the lack of feelings. He just wanted to stop existing for a while, to allow himself to process the things that Naraku's silken voice had murmured into his ears. He could not have believed there could be a place so dark and yet so inviting, it was if the world he knew had stopped. The sun was gone, the moon, the trees, the grass, and for some reason he didn't miss any of it. He felt no hunger, no thirst, no pain, even his mind seemed absent of all sensation, all sophisticated thought. Ozawa's mind and body seemed blank. His body remained weightless, unbound by the tethers of existence, and for a while he thought he could stay here forever.

From the darkness came a sound and Ozawa cringed in fear at the thought of hearing Naraku's voice again. He kept on listening and Ozawa realized it wasn't Naraku, it was something else. A figure materialized from the darkness and walked toward him, his feet thudding against a ground that wasn't there. It was a samurai, clad in black and white armor, and he had blood dripping down from behind his mask. Ozawa called out to the figure and asked him his name. The figure simply removed his mask to reveal his face. A tanto stuck out from underneath his chin, blood still trickling from the wound Ozawa had inflicted. Akira's face was emotionless, and when his master tried to speak Ozawa could see only darkness inside his mouth, as deep and penetrating as the void around him. His mouth gaped at Ozawa, neither yelling nor whispering, just agape with no sound.

Suddenly, Akira expanded in size, two, three, four, six, ten, twenty times Ozawa's size, his mouth still open, Akira's face still judging him, questioning him. As the mouth of his former master engulfed him, Ozawa was sent into darkness again, but this void was different. It felt...wrong. Then he felt ropes around his hands and feet, but there was nothing there, nothing holding him. He struggled, he tried to free himself, to no avail. He screamed and the void was filled with the echoes of his wailing.

Then Naraku's voice came back, "You have done a terrible thing, haven't you, boy?" Naraku's form materialized before him, still cloaked in an ape's skin. His voice was cold, colder than the new void that had enveloped Ozawa. The figure came closer and closer until the ape's hollow face was right in front of his. By now, Ozawa could feel all the energy leave his limbs, and he gave up struggling. As Naraku's pale, slender hand reached out it held Ozawa's chin, the ape's empty eyes staring deep into his, there was truly nothing there, no trace of humanity. In a low, quiet voice the monster said, "I can free you of your torment...for a price." His voice was as smooth as ice, gliding across the space between the two beings as water flows down a river. It sounded wonderful, and his idea of freedom was truly enticing.

Ozawa knew any deal struck with a person such as this would be one sided, and not in his favor, but he felt like he had no choice. He managed to croak out, "Please...get me out of here." And a deal was struck.

* * *

 **Author's note: What is this? Two chapters put up so close to each other?! Why, it's almost as if I just can't get enough of making you guys happy! (But seriously, all this writing is starting to take over my life.)**

 **I'd like to give a huge thanks once more to Gus for his history help, and I'd also like to thank everybody who has left me a review so far! You guys are wonderful, really. I couldn't do any of this without you.**

 **Expect chapter 6 to be up by tomorrow! Love ya!**


	6. Opalescent

That night, Kagome found herself anxious about sleeping. It was chilly inside the cave, so she understood the benefits of sleeping in a pile, although having all these wolves pressed against her made her uncomfortable.

The wolves were bedding down for the night, each carefully circling their intended spot before lying down and curling in closely. Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku all chose to sleep directly next to each other, using different parts of their friends' bodies as pillows. Kagome, over on her own little pile of furs, actually felt quite left out. She could feel the cold hardness of stone beneath her body, and even though she drew some of the pelts up over her legs, she still felt the chill of the air on her skin.

"Come on…the pack sleeps together." Kouga lifted his head, blinking in a drowsy fashion. He gestures her over to the pile of cuddly ookami, and the human girl quickly drags her bedding over to them. She adds those to the pile, saving one to put over her feet. Immediately, she finds herself being used as a pillow, with somebody putting their head down on her stomach. Kagome wiggles around, finding somebody else to rest her head upon. Surrounded by warmth and slow breathing, she let herself drift off.

* * *

When the sun began to rise, Kagome stirred, realizing that everyone had shifted during the night. Her eyes were closed, but she felt particularly warm. She rubbed her head gently against whatever it is she is laying against, and she realizes that her face is resting on someone's chest. Her eyes peek open, look upwards in a squint, taking in a glance of brown hair drifting over the face of her comforter. She took comfort in knowing that she was in Kouga's arms, and then closed her eyes again. No one yet had to awaken.

As the morning went on, a sense of anxiousness was in the back of Kagome's mind. At any moment, she found herself to be expecting the loud cries of her companions, someone complaining or demanding their breakfast. But when those raised voices never came, she smiled in relief and did not get up.

Later on, Kouga nuzzled down against the top of her head. He buried his nose in her hair, just taking in her scent. Something about being this close to his other half brought an indescribable sense of peace to his slumber. He wished that he would never have to wake again, just to stay this close to Kagome. His lips press to her forehead now, a gesture of love and compassion he picked up from watching humans. He wanted to show his koishī how much he cared for her, and how strongly he wished for her to love him back.

When his lips met her skin, Kagome felt warmth rushing through her body, culminating in her cheeks. She blushed now, instinctively moving closer to Kouga. Her eyes were still squeezed shut, and she just wanted this sweet moment to last forever. He shifted now, tilting his face down closer to hers and gazing at her with eyes clouded by sleep. Kagome could feel his look and let her eyes drift open again, smiling at him. She lets out a little hum, greeting the morning and the youkai holding her close. He smiled sweetly in return and came closer to her, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Morning…" He grumbled softly, voice still clouded by sleep. He winds his leg around hers, foot gently rubbing against her shin in a gesture of warm affection.

"Morning." She smiled back to him, accepting his affection. She hugs him, still not yet fully awake. Kouga's lips move, pressing another little kiss against Kagome's face. She shifts, her stiff muscles telling her that it is time to get up and start the day.

Kagome reluctantly pulled herself away from Kouga's grasp, standing up and getting in a big stretch. She is immediately accosted by multiple wet noses poking at her legs, some of the wolves have come over to greet her. "Good morning to you too." She chuckles, carefully picking her way through the crowd to a spot where she could get down on their level. The wolves gleefully bound over her, paws and noses digging into her body to sniff every scent she was carrying. Once they were content in what she smelled like, they accosted the human girl with their tongues, absolutely covering her with their slobber. "Oh, gross! Guys, don't lick me there—!" She squeals, trying to push them all off.

"It's part of being in the pack, nee-san." One of the ookami rolled over. "Just let them do their thing, they'll calm down soon enough."

She laughed, as their licks were starting to tickle her. This encouraged them, and they jumped happily upon the girl, burying her in their affection. Their rowdy sounds soon caused everyone else in the cave to stir, and the sight of their Alpha's future mate being so loved by the wolves brought smiles and laughter to their faces.

"Okay, okay, that's enough, break it up." Kouga stood up and waded through the mess of wolves, rescuing his love and pulling her to her feet. Kagome wiped all of the slobber off her face with her sleeve, realizing that her uniform was now soaking wet and absolutely reeked of wolf spit.

"Look what you guys did!" She scolds them gently. "I don't suppose there's somewhere I could go change…is there?"

"We've got some spare armor that you could borrow, nee-san. Here you go!" Hakkaku rummages around the cave for a moment before dropping a pile of metal and fur into Kagome's arms. "Come on, put it on."

"Yeah, put it on! I can't wait to see what Kagome nee-san would look like as the Alpha female!" Ginta grinned widely.

"W-Well I'm certainly not changing my clothes out in the open. A girl needs a place to go and be on her own!" She becomes flustered, looking around for anywhere she could go to be out of sight. She spots a little divot in the cave wall and heads over there, grabbing one of the biggest pelts on the floor she could find and giving it to Ginta and Hakkaku. "You two are going to hold his up so nobody can see me, and if you try to sneak a peek I'll get Kouga-kun to eat you!" She orders. Kouga throws his head back and laughs, amazed at how feisty she could be.

"You're gonna be the best Alpha female we've ever had around here." He grins, shooing the rest of his pack over towards the mouth of the cave. "You heard what she said, anybody tries to sneak a peek and I'll have to eat them! You look…particularly tasty!" He leaps onto one of his friends, rolling across the stone floor in a scuffle. Quickly enough, everyone else in the cave has joined in on the fun, all becoming far too busy to even think about Kagome as she quickly changed clothes.

"So…how do I look?"

The whole romp came to an immediate halt, all eyes falling upon a heavily-blushing Kagome. She now wore fur armor over her shoulders, shins, and forearms, as was standard for all members of the pack. She bound her hair back with a strip of cloth, the end of her ponytail falling down between her shoulder blades. Her chest was covered by a band of fur, with iron armor encasing her midsection, going from the bottom of her ribs to the end of her waist. She had wrapped a long pelt around her lower half, wearing it as a skirt and adding a bit of protection by tying some smaller pieces of armor over her hips. She still kept her shoes, however, as her feet could not put up with constant running while bare.

Kouga stared up at the other half of his soul with an expression that could only be described as awe and love. "Wow…Kagome, you are the most beautiful woman in the world…" He breathed, extracting himself from the pile of wolves and ookami. "M-May I give you some things…?"

"Of course, Kouga-kun." She smiled and flushed a bit, playing with the end of her ponytail.

Kouga dashed off in his signature whirlwind, out of the cave in a real hurry. Kagome was left behind blinking a bit, wondering what was so important out there. But he was back in a flash, almost like he had never gone. He held two things in his hands: one long strip of fur, and then something else wrapped up in aromatic leaves.

"First, we've got to give you a tail. No Alpha female can be seen without one!" Kouga ties the strip of fur around Kagome's waist, standing very close to her. The fur acts as a belt, and a section fell down over her rear, looking very much like the tail that Kouga himself sported. "Next is something…more special."

"S-Special?"

"Yeah. I've been waiting to give this to you for a while, so… please take it!" He trusted out his hands, presenting the packet to the human girl. She took it and slowly peeled away the covering, and was amazed to find a beautiful stone threaded onto a leather string. The stone was rough, but it shone with many colors, an uncut opal. Kagome breathed in with surprise as Kouga tied the jewelry around her neck, letting it settle comfortably on her chest.

"This is…beautiful!" She said in quiet amazement. "Thank you, Kouga-kun." She rushed forward to embrace him, eyes squeezed shut in joy and embarrassment as a howl rose up from the pack. She felt joy in Kouga's generosity, and the pack found joy in knowing that their Alpha had, at last, found someone to share his life with.

"I found that in the mountains one day, after I met you… I know it looks rough on the outside, but on the inside it shines so brightly, with so many colors. It's kinda like you in that way, Kagome. You are beautiful on the inside and the outside. You bring me happiness, more than I've ever known." Kouga spoke to her quietly, so that only she could hear. "That's why I hope that you'll stay with me, Kagome. I want you to stay here with me and my pack."

Kagome was quiet for a while, just thinking, while she remained within Kouga's arms. "Kouga-kun, that idea sounds very nice… Being here with you makes me happy too."

"So, you'll stay!"

"I'm not inclined to say no… I just don't want to go rushing into anything. I'm a stranger here, to your pack and to your time. I want to be able to make my own decision when I'm happiest to do so."

"I understand, Kagome." Kouga shifts so that their bodies are pressed closer to each other. "Just always remember that I love you, alright?"

"I know." She lets out a little chuckle, and the ookami presses a kiss to her forehead. With a rush of emotion going through her, Kagome quickly tilts her face upwards, letting her lips come up to touch Kouga's. He inhales deeply in surprise before wrapping his arms tightly around her, deepening the kiss before picking her up off the ground and twirling around in his glee. Another cheer came up from the pack, and everyone wished that this happiness would never end.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Have some happy fluff! And be sure to hold onto your hats as the next chapter comes... it's gonna be a doozy! Love ya!**


	7. Transformation

He felt a falling sensation. Ozawa's eyes were still closed, but he could feel the wind on his face, and the force of gravity on his back and as he awoke he could see the land spread out beneath his eyes. There were countless fields, forests, hills, and valleys, large and small. Around the corners of his vision he could see the land fall away, covered by the mists far beyond what he could see. The void had left him, and the ground came hurtling up towards him. Before he hit the ground, however, he felt Naraku's cold presence again, and suddenly the figure appeared beneath him, the wind flapping against his ape skin sending waves through it like an ocean of fur. Naraku spoke softly though his voice seemed to carry perfectly across the distance between them.

"Now boy, you return to the light, away from the savage emptiness that enveloped you. I have released you from that torment, so now you must repay your debt. I must warn you, the journey from the void back to the physical world shall cost you dearly, as it is out of my control. Take care to have a safe landing." With that a slight chuckle echoed over the air, and Naraku vanished.

Ozawa's eyes widened as the ground then came up to meet him. He felt a hard _smack_ as his face and torso impacted the soil beneath him, but there was no pain, he reached up to his cheeks, nose, and eyes and felt no cuts, no tenderness, and no damage whatsoever. Ozawa thought to himself, puzzled. It would cost him dearly…? Then, how could he have survived his fall? This surely must be a gift, a blessing, not a curse. He smiled, for the first time in… well, he didn't know how long. His face seemed to boom with excitement, and he ran headlong into the nearby woods to find something to eat, because all the while all he could think was "I am hungry!"

After a while searching, he came across a tree filled with _nashi,_ a type of pear. Ozawa gaped at the size of them, "These are at least twice as big as the ones back in the village!" he exclaimed. As he took a bite of the fruit, his mouth clenched and his tongue contracted in shock and disgust, and with a loud _blech_ he spit out chunks of it all over the grass beneath him. He thought to himself, "Must have been a bad nashi. Oh well," he threw the rest of it away, "I'll get another one." However, the next nashi proved no tastier than the last, and as he went from pear to pear, ripping them off the tree he became angrier and angrier. He could not understand, they could not all be this bad could they? Was it the tree? But how's that possible?

He hurriedly ran around, he soon found a bush brimming with grapes. Grabbing the buds and shoving them in his mouth he tried to swallow them down, but he just couldn't take the taste. They were just as bad as the nashi. Ozawa started retching up any of the fruit he tried to eat, and slowly he started to realize that anything around here might be just as bad. An overwhelming sense of anger and frustration came over him. Ozawa had to find some food quick, or else he would surely die.

From out of the trees to his right he heard footsteps, horse hooves and sandals, patting against the dry surface of a nearby road. Grateful for finally being able to hear another human presence he raced towards the clearing where the road, and its travelers, were. As he drew nearer he slowed down and decided to observe the group of people from a distance first, making sure they were members of Takeda's army. Out of the thicket he could see at the head was a samurai dressed full battle array, however he did not wear the red and black colors associated with the Takeda clan, instead they were the white and black of Ozawa's people! Behind the samurai were around a dozen and a half foot soldiers, servants, and merchants following closely, probably hoping to sell their wares to more of the men back at the camp. Ozawa was so filled with joy that he burst forth from out of the brush and landed feet first onto the ground just ahead of the samurai, he spread out his arms in a large welcoming embrace. "Hello brothers!" he yelled aloud, but the reaction from the samurai and his companions was not what Ozawa had expected. The samurai's horse kicked its front legs in the air and cried in horror, and as each of the samurai's companions stood wide eyed at Ozawa he became even more confused. From a distance of about a dozen yards away Ozawa could hear the people yelling "Beast! Demon!"

Even more confused, Ozawa tried speaking to them, but he was drowned out by the flurry of shouting coming from the samurai and his soldiers. He then drew his katana and charged at Ozawa, screaming "Demon!" all the while.

As the mounted samurai charged straight at him, Ozawa could not believe what he was seeing, so he instinctively tried to get out of the way. His reflexes, however, were faster than he remembered, and he jumped, higher than he thought possible for him, and went right over the samurai's head. He locked eyes with the samurai as he flew above him, and he looked just as terrified and puzzled as Ozawa.

"What's the matter with you?!" Ozawa screamed at him, but the samurai either didn't hear him or failed to understand him, whirled around and charged again.

Again Ozawa screamed, "Stop! Please stop!" putting his hands out in a pleading gesture. The samurai continued to charge, and Ozawa decided to stop this nonsense himself, and he jumped again up into the air, this time just a head shorter and his feet first. His feet made impact with the samurai's face and breastplate. He felt the impact through his feet and up into his legs and his waist.

What disturbed Ozawa, though, was the disgusting _crunch_ of bone breaking beneath his feet. When the samurai and Ozawa made impact with the ground together, he stood over his downed opponent with a sense of relief and astonishment. He gazed down at the fallen samurai and saw his eyes stared blankly into the air...he was dead.

A cry of anger came from behind him as three of the soldiers charged at Ozawa, the rest stood motionless, too terrified to move. Ozawa raised his hands in defense and caught two of the spear tips in his hands, while the third hit he belly. He then noticed the third spear tip lying on the ground and the shaft of the spear, its wooden frame split in two lying on the ground in front of him.

"Enough of this!" Ozawa yelled out and pushed with all his might, shoving each of the spear tips to the ground and saying two of the men flying to the ground behind him. The third stood shivering in front of him with mouth agape, his words failing him with nothing passing his lips but the occasional stuttered gibberish. Suddenly he lunged at Ozawa with his tanto, slashing at Ozawa's arms and torso all the while yelling obscenities.

Just as he finally had enough of this, Ozawa swiped his hands across and sliced the tanto into pieces, blade, handle, and all. Along with the tanto, Ozawa saw he had severed the poor soldier's hand, his fingers lay in small bloody pools on the ground between them, while Ozawa stood clutching the rest of his hand. Although he could not understand it, Ozawa was then filled with an incredible hunger and shoved the bits of hand into his mouth, and then the fingers on the ground. The taste was incredibly satisfying. "More!" he cried. "MORE!"

As he distracted himself with the first nourishment he could stomach, the rest of the travelling party fled for their lives. With a few shouted words, each man mounted on horseback rode off in a different direction, to warn all the surrounding villages of this demon who consumed humans.

* * *

Quickly enough, word spread across the region of an undead soldier who eliminated whole platoons of soldiers and feasted upon the dead flesh. All of the areas close to the battlefield were soon deserted, no one daring to approach, not even to clear the road of the bodies which had been stripped clean. All were terrified of being eaten.

The villagers now pooled all of their money together, and sent every local priest, priestess, and shrine maiden down to the roads, to try and drive away this foul beast.

But, none of them returned to collect their pay.

Things were beginning to grow desperate, and rumors were spreading that the entire region was cursed. None dared to travel between villages in groups smaller than twenty people, all of which carried arms. The weak were terrified of starvation, for no trade could occur between the regions. The daimyo begged his neighbors for help, but no one wanted to associate with them.

Luckily for them, however, Inuyasha's group was passing through at this time. They had indeed found it strange that nearly an entire region was deserted, and any towns they passed were shut up tight.

"What the hell is going on around here?" Inuyasha finally voiced his concern with the strange solitude of the land. "I can smell the fear, this whole place reeks of it!" He bounds ahead, having spotted a shrine. From within, wails of prayer rose and wound through the air, voices high and reedy with fear.

"It's the demon!"

"We shall all surely be eaten!"

"I don't want to die…I don't want to die…"

All the people inside continued to panic, growing more and more terrified at the sight of Inuyasha approaching. When he reached the gate, screams went up, loud and shrill enough to make him clamp down on his ears in pain.

"Wait, everyone! Please!" Miroku charged forward, placing himself in between the hanyou and the huddled mass of humans. "I am a travelling priest. Please, what is going on around here?"

A man drew shakily to his feet. "A-A demon…he looks like a man, but spears cannot draw his blood… It will kill us and then feast upon us!" Quickly, he fell back down into a kneel, prostrating himself before the shrine's deity.

"Do not worry, everyone. I travel with a renowned Demon Slayer, and a man who even demons fear!" Miroku smiled calmly at the crowd. "We will make your lands safe once again."

* * *

It had been barely a day since being released from the void, and Ozawa was changing. When he licked his fingers, cleaning them of the blood from his latest kill, he received a shock. His fingernails were claws, his skin was bristling with long brown and black hairs. He opened his mouth, reached around and felt long fangs on both his upper and lower halves of his teeth. This realization came down on Ozawa like a punch to the stomach, but he couldn't help himself, he still licked the blood off his fingers, sucking down every last drop. He then turned to the surviving travelers, having already plowed through most of the group. The head merchants had long since ran for their lives, but two guards and three servants stubbornly stood their ground, one of the servants having nothing but a basket as a weapon.

Ozawa lurched forward, his feet carrying him while his mind resisted every impulse that came with this new form, this new body of his. As he ran towards them, one of the spearmen try in vain to stick the end of his spear into Ozawa's stomach. He simply brushed him off, slashing his throat with his claws, making his way towards the wounded spearman, mouth dripping with blood and drool. Ozawa wanted to cry out, to speak to them as a man, to tell them to run, but he just growled and they stood their ground.

After it was over, Ozawa hovered over the corpses, taking chunks of flesh from each of the bodies, wolfing them down. Ozawa wanted to stop, tried to stop, but his body seemed to take over while his mind was absent, tied down and unable to prevent himself from becoming this...this beast. Just as he had eaten his fill Ozawa sat down next to a nearby tree, rubbing himself up against it then laying down on the cold ground. In his head he kept repeating to himself, "What am I? WHAT AM I?" over and over again. He dragged himself along, away from the stench of the corpses, crawled on all fours deeper into the woods. As night fell and the moon rose he started howling and wailing, his cried echoing through the dark forest. He was lost, alone, he felt more alone than he ever had in that place where Naraku had approached him. This was a new void, and knowing no one could ever be safe near him, he decided to find the one place he knew he couldn't hurt anybody.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Whoops, time to take a break from the fluffy stuff and get back to the demon hunting that makes this series what it is. Once again, big thanks to Gus for helping me with the Ozawa segments!**

 **See ya later~! Love ya~!**


	8. Each and Every Howl

As the sun climbed higher into the sky, stomachs among the pack began to growl. "Okay everybody, it's time to hunt!" Kouga announced. "Split up into your usual groups. If you catch something, you share with your group. You know the drill."

Kagome looked up at Kouga, surprised at how harsh she found their way to be. "Don't wolves share their kill?"

"We're a big pack." He chuckled a bit. "So, we have to hunt in smaller groups. Got way too many mouths to feed."

"I see your point. So, what am I supposed to do?"

"You're with me, of course." He smiles, and then crouched down. "I want to have my hands free. Climb on."

Kagome wraps her arms around the ookami, and once he stands up he picks up her legs. His rough hands gently caressed her thighs, pulling her tightly against his back and making sure that he won't drop her. The human girl blushed as she squeezes him, getting lifted off the ground.

"Okay, let's go!" Kouga tilts his face towards the sky, letting out a howl. All the other wolves and ookami howled as well, forming a chorus of voices that cried up and outward. With that, they all broke out into a run, separating into their groups.

* * *

Kagome held tightly to Kouga as he ran through the woods, flanked by Ginta and Hakkaku, along with several of their wolves. Moving fast in a large group was thrilling, and it made Kagome feel as if she were flying. The small pack often let out a collective cry, and then listened closely to hear the others echoing them, triangulating exactly where each group had traveled. The human girl did not know what was going on, and hearing so many wolves howling from all around her sent shivers down her spine.

Kouga noticed the slight shift in her demeanor, and gently patted her leg as a gesture of comfort. "It's okay, Kagome. We're just figuring out where everybody is." She nods and buries her head into the crook of his neck, recalling how the howling of wolves was usually construed as eerie, at least to humans. He chuckles a little bit, and quickly signals the pack to halt. Everybody goes skidding to a stop, ears pricked. "I smell prey."

Immediately, and without a cue, the wolves slink off into the brush, noses working hard to find their target. The ookami change their stance, with Kagome being put back down onto her own feet. "You gonna chase it with us, nee-san?" Ginta asks.

"Uh, I don't think I'm fast enough for that one…" She shakes her head.

"That's ok. You can be our meeting point! So don't go anywhere." Hakkaku flashes her a grin, before lunging into the bushes. He quickly pounces on something out of Kagome's sight, struggles for a moment, and then quickly pops up with a fair-sized squirrel in his jaws. "I got food!" He beams.

"Good job! Leave it here." Kouga looks up, hearing the faint cry of his wolves in the wind. "They've found a few deer. Come on!" In his trademark whirlwhind, he dashes away, leaving the other two ookami in his wake. They chase after him, surprisingly without complaint this time.

Kagome stayed behind, knowing for sure that she did not have the speed or stamina to keep up with the rest of the hunting group. She sat down on a nearby rock, just staring at the squirrel that Hakkaku had left on the ground. Its eyes were glazed over, small flecks of blood dotting its fur around its mouth, and punctures marred the flow of skin around its neck. The sight of something just lying there, dead, put shivers through her.

It was kind of funny, really. The sight of one dead animal bothered her more than countless dead demons that she experienced throughout her travels here. However, there was a pretty serious difference between them. This animal's life had been taken in order to continue the lives of others, and all those demons lost their lives because they stole away the lives of others.

Upon thinking about it even more, things really weren't that different after all. Both different types of beings had to die in order for others to keep living.

Lost in her musings, Kagome was late to pick up on the sound of rustling coming from the bush behind her. She stands up and turns around, taking a few steps back on instinct. Her hands moved to her back, instinctively searching for the bow she usually carried.

"Oh no, I left it behind…" She groans, going back even further. "This better not be some kind of demon." Because she lacked her weapon, Kagome found the closest thing she could that might actually channel her spiritual power: the necklace Kouga gave her. She slipped the string up over her head and cradled the jewel in her palms, breathing slowly, willing it to start glowing with the purple light of her power. After focusing deeply, a faint illumination comes to her stone, immediately helping Kagome feel much better about this situation. With this in her hand, she felt much less afraid of whatever was about to pop out of the bushes at her.

"Don't you dare try sneaking up on me, you hear?" She announces bravely, holding the stone in her hand in a position to hit somebody with. "Or else I'll make you regret it!"

"Regret what?" A voice says. Kagome whirls around and charges towards the person, ready to strike. "Whoa!"

Kagome halts herself, just centimeters away from smashing her palm into their face. _"Kouga-kun?!"_

"Hey." Kouga blinks in surprise, the bright light emanating from Kagome's hand is too bright for him. He wraps his hand around her wrist, lowering it until the glow ceases. Once the human released her fighting stance, the ookami put her necklace back around her neck before taking her hands into his own. "I shouldn't have left you alone. I'm sorry, Kagome." He frowned.

"You really scared me, you know! Why'd you just sneak up on me all of a sudden?" Kagome frowned back at him. "My heart's still beating a mile a minute."

"You just…you look so beautiful, like a female ookami, and I automatically assumed that you could smell me before I came back. And we howled, to tell you that the hunt was a success."

"I don't speak wolf, Kouga-kun." Kagome sighs, shaking her head.

"That's okay. I'll just have to teach you what we mean by each and every howl!" Kouga throws his head back and laughs now, amused by her humanity. "We'll have all the time in the world."

"Hey now, don't forget that I'm only staying with you for a week right now. When the time comes, I'll have to go back to Inuyasha and the group, so that we can defeat Naraku." She frowns once again, looking down. "We can't just hide in a cave and wait for everything to blow over. When the time comes, we'll need to fight."

Kouga nods, putting a finger beneath her chin, asking for her to look back up at him. "I know. But when that's all done, I hope that you'll choose to stay with me."

"We'll make those choices when the time comes." Kagome smiles softly, accepting the gentle touch of his hand. "So…did you guys catch anything good to eat?"

"Oh! Yeah!" He turns around, noticing just now that his packmates had caught up to him. The two ookami were both struggling under the combined weight of a large deer, its antlers were dragging on the ground even though the carcass was slung over their shoulders. The wolves were taking turns dragging a boar, the lack of hands making it difficult to pick up the pace. Kouga went and grabbed that boar from them, hanging it on his own shoulders now. "Think you can make the walk back?"

"I'll probably be faster than you are, at this rate!" Kagome lets herself laugh, picking up the squirrel. She shudders a little bit at how stiff it's gotten, and awkwardly tucks it into her belt so she doesn't need to have her hands on it anymore.

"Uh-uh, no way is a human going to beat me!" He grins wide at her, holding the boar in one hand and then scooping Kagome up with the other. "You're coming with me, koishī."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Welp, the combination of holidays and depression is a real bear. Writing is kicking my butt. I know I promised that this chapter would be serious, but...well, it ended up as a fair bit of fluff. Oops.**

 **Please stay tuned for the next chapter!**


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